Chicken Vindaloo

Vindaloo Curry Recipe

Needing little introduction, vindaloo is a hot and spicy curry with prominent flavours of tomato, chilli, vinegar, and black pepper. I like to use a star anise in vindaloo – the taste pokes through the heat and gives a subtle dimension of flavour.

There are many stories, myths, and legends about how vindaloo came about, usually involving the Portuguese Navy, native Goan Indians, and barrels of preserved garlic and wine. A potent combination!

My British Indian restaurant (BIR) style version serves 1-2 people. Photos show a Chicken Vindaloo, but it can be made with any main ingredient. Please see my recipes for Pre-Cooked Lamb, Pre-Cooked Chicken, and Pre-Cooked Keema.

This vindaloo curry recipe is from my cookbook CURRY COMPENDIUM, and is also in my first book, INDIAN RESTAURANT CURRY AT HOME VOLUME 1. All my books are available in both physical and kindle formats.

Books by Richard Sayce

Indian Restaurant Curry at Home Volume 1 by Richad Sayce
Indian Restaurant Curry at Home Volume 2 by Richad Sayce
Curry Compendium by Richard Sayce

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 TBSP Oil (60ml)
  • 1 Whole Star Anise (optional)
  • 2 tsp Ginger/Garlic Paste
  • 1¼ tsp Mix Powder
  • 2 TBSP Kashmiri Chilli Powder
  • 2 tsp Chilli Powder (Normal)
  • ¼ tsp Garam Masala
  • ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • ¼-½ tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Kasuri Methi

SPACEHOLDER

  • Fresh Coriander Stalks Leaves, 1 TBSP of each, finely chopped
  • 330ml+ Base Gravy
  • 5 TBSP Tomato Paste
  • Pre-Cooked Chicken / Lamb / Beef / Prawns / Veg etc.
  • 2 tsp Tomato Ketchup
  • 1½ tsp Vinegar (White / White Wine /Cider / Malt)
  • 1 tsp Sugar (optional)

METHOD

  1. Add the oil to a frying pan on medium high heat.
  2. Wait until hot, and if using the star anise add it now and fry for 30-45 seconds, stirring often.
  3. Add ginger/garlic paste. Stir continually to avoid burning, and cook for 30 seconds or until the sizzling sounds lessens.
  4. Now add the kasuri methi, mix powder, chilli powders, garam masala, ground black pepper, and salt.
  5. Fry for 30 seconds, stirring constantly with the flat of the spoon, ensuring flat distribution of the spices in the pan. Add a splash of base gravy when the spices begin to stick to the pan to avoid burning them and to give them time to cook properly.
  6. Then in with the tomato paste and the coriander stalks.
  7. Straight in with the pre-cooked chicken, lamb, or other meat/veg, and mix well into the sauce. Turn up the heat to high while stirring constantly until the oil separates, and tiny craters appear.
  8. Add 75ml of base gravy, stir into the sauce, and leave on high heat (not stirring) until the sauce is reduced a little, allowing the oil to separate and tiny dry-looking craters to form around the edges of the pan.

SPACEHOLDER

  1. Add a second 75ml of base gravy, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan once when first added, allowing the sauce to reduce again for approx. 30-45 seconds.
  2. Add 150ml of base gravy, tomato ketchup, vinegar, and the optional sugar, stirring and scraping once when first added. Leave to cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the desired consistency (quite thick) is reached and the oil has separated. Add a little extra base gravy if desired to thin the sauce out.
  3. Remove the whole star anise.
  4. Spoon off excess oil from the top of the curry if you want to be health conscious.
  5. Serve, sprinkling the fresh coriander leaves on top.
Chicken Vindaloo

NOTES

  • All spoon measurements are level (1 tsp = 5ml, 1 TBSP = 15ml).
  • Potato is added to vindaloo in some Indian restaurants and takeaways. I personally prefer it without potato, but feel free to add a few chunks of pre-boiled potato towards the end of cooking. Waxy potatoes are best as they hold together nicely.
  • The 1 tsp of sugar is optional. I suggest you taste the vindaloo after adding the tomato ketchup and vinegar before deciding if the sugar is desired.
  • I recommend you use a good quality vinegar in this Vindaloo Curry Recipe. Some cheap brands can be very harsh.
  • Please visit the Misty Ricardo’s Curry Kitchen YouTube Channel for lots of Indian recipes.
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